The coffee cup that outlived the crew

Found this chipped blue mug in the back of the cupboard yesterday—same one we used on the last burn shift before I retired. The handle’s been taped three times, and there’s still a faint ring where someone spilled cold brew in ’21. I filled it with fresh grounds today, just to see if the ghost of that morning still lived in the steam. It did. Not the same as the real thing, but close enough to make me pause at the sink. You don’t miss the fire. You miss the quiet after.